Who is MVP(2005-2006)???

[Rapper]

First!I come from china. I just a university student in hong kong china

So my english is not well.but I will do my best to learn english!

I love the San Antonio spurs! I especially love Tim Duncan

I am 21 year-old! I love Tim over 9 years

I hope I can go to San Antonio watch Tim play to the future.. :princess

this is one of my dream, my english is not well

So I don't know...can you understandable what am I talking about??

may be I am so many mistake in my sentence.. :rolleyes
------------------------------------------------------

I think kobe is top SG in the NBA

he is jumper well. layup well !

To SG. kobe is inside well ! Although I don't like kobe

but kobe really is a top SG .(God 81 points)

but MVP in this year (2005-2006)

I will select Dirk Nowitizki or Chauncey billups

Dallas and Detroit also over 60 win

this season Dirk made 26.6ppg 9rbg 2.8apg and also over 40% 3P%

he is total pack package

Chauncey billups made 18.5ppg 3.1rbg 8.6apg and also over 43% 3P%

and also Detroit is over 64-win OH MY GOD

but I want this season MVP by Tim .because I think Tim is the best player in

the NBA!

So I would like to know .who is US spurs fans choose??(MVP)

P.S(I don't know can you understand what I mean? I hope you understand understand that) :princess

[Rapper]

In my city

At he moment

the time is 9:15 PM

[genghisrex]

Welcome, Rapper! Your english is perfectly understandable (it's better than my chinese) and I'm sure you'll improve with practice.

I'd give the MVP to Kobe or Lebron this season. Even though guys like Dirk and Chauncey are playing well on teams with better records, I don't think they've been quite as spectacular/dominant this year as those first two guys. I just hope Nash doesn't repeat. He's played very well on an exciting team, but I don't think he's in the same class as other multiple MVP/repeat MVP players, and I don't think he's been the best player (or "most valuable" if you want to make that distinction) in the league this year. Based on "early returns" it looks like many voters disagree with me, however.

Tim doesn't enter into the equation for regular season MVP, but, as usual, appears to be in the running for Finals MVP.

[fraga]

Dirk Nowitizki

[Medvedenko]

Welcome..oh and Kobe will win.

[50 cent]

Kobe.

BTW, your english is really good. :tu

[themvp]

I think Kobe or Lebron. Maybe Bibby, but i am not so sure.

[mavsfan1000]

Lebron is the MVP. Either him or Wade.

[LilMissSPURfect]

Best player on Best team was usually the criterion.....

chauncey or tony but this is detroit and spurs so
the next logical choice would be

Dirk!

[Rapper]

Welcome, Rapper! Your english is perfectly understandable (it's better than my chinese) and I'm sure you'll improve with practice.

I'd give the MVP to Kobe or Lebron this season. Even though guys like Dirk and Chauncey are playing well on teams with better records, I don't think they've been quite as spectacular/dominant this year as those first two guys. I just hope Nash doesn't repeat. He's played very well on an exciting team, but I don't think he's in the same class as other multiple MVP/repeat MVP players, and I don't think he's been the best player (or "most valuable" if you want to make that distinction) in the league this year. Based on "early returns" it looks like many voters disagree with me, however.

Tim doesn't enter into the equation for regular season MVP, but, as usual, appears to be in the running for Finals MVP.

Thank you very much!! :angel

And you can speak a little chinese??

[1Parker1]

Your English is good, Rapper.

MVP, Kobe or Dirk. Off chance that Billups gets it, although I doubt it. Lebron should be considered, but I'm sure media will think he's too young and inexperienced right now to get it.

[kalikot_boy_kr]

:king :lol ..ok ur english is good! understandable lol!

[Rapper]

you know!

In Asia. Is so many people will watch the NBA game

Because We think NBA game is a very exciting game

Especially chinese.We almost watch the NBA game and news every day

and I will always on-line. go to NBA.com.and other basketball web

Do you know the population of china??

P.S(I know my sentence is so many mistakes)

[Rapper]

I have a question

In here! this board

who can speak chinese??

Could it be said that..only me???

[Rapper]

Welcome, Rapper! Your english is perfectly understandable (it's better than my chinese) and I'm sure you'll improve with practice.

I'd give the MVP to Kobe or Lebron this season. Even though guys like Dirk and Chauncey are playing well on teams with better records, I don't think they've been quite as spectacular/dominant this year as those first two guys. I just hope Nash doesn't repeat. He's played very well on an exciting team, but I don't think he's in the same class as other multiple MVP/repeat MVP players, and I don't think he's been the best player (or "most valuable" if you want to make that distinction) in the league this year. Based on "early returns" it looks like many voters disagree with me, however.

Tim doesn't enter into the equation for regular season MVP, but, as usual, appears to be in the running for Finals MVP.

Thank you so much

And I feel your speaking looks like Gregg Popovich :blah

[Rapper]

No one respondent

[pwilliam]

I have a question

In here! this board

who can speak chinese??

Could it be said that..only me???

I speak cantonese. ÄãºÃ†á?

[Rapper]

I speak cantonese. ÄãºÃ†á?

WOWO

In my hometown.hong kong china. All people is speak cantonese.

of course! I also can speak cantonese!

but "ÄãºÃ†á" is not cantonese!!

but I am happy right now

because you know the cantonese. :elephant

[J.T.]

Dirk or Lebron.

I know some Japanese, but it's a little different than Chinese and Cantonese.

[JamStone]

Kobe Bryant, just barely over LeBron, with Dirk a distant third.

1. Kobe Bryant
2. LeBron James
3. Dirk Nowitzki
4. Steve Nash
5. Chauncey Billups

[MoSpur]

The Real Mvp Is Elton Brand. He Is Putting Up Numbers Like Tim Duncan Dud When He Won The Mvp. However, I Think Lebron Will Win It.

[spurofthemoment]

Kobe Bryant

[v2000]

Nash, Dirk, or Lebron.

[LilMissSPURfect]

WOWO

In my hometown.hong kong china. All people is speak cantonese.

of course! I also can speak cantonese!

but "ÄãºÃ†á" is not cantonese!!

but I am happy right now

because you know the cantonese. :elephant

I speak MEXenese...at least that's what my mom says..... :oops

"Andale let's go"


:lol :lol

[pache100]

I HOPE Lebron or Dirk (http://i3.tinypic.com/vsf0hl.gif - can't believe I'm saying this) win over Kobe. Kobe Bryant does not deserve this award this year or any other year. He may be the most valuable individual, but he is not any kind of team player.

[ColoradoSpursFan]

Tony Parker!!!

[pache100]

Tony Parker!!!

:tu

[1Parker1]

Bryant does not deserve this award this year or any other year. He may be the most valuable individual, but he is not any kind of team player.

:lol What's the difference between Most Valuable Individual and Most Valuable Player? If the award were about the rest of the team, it'd be Most Valuable Team award

[team-work]

Hey Rapper,

I'm another guy from Hong Kong, and speaks Cantonese.

I began loving the NBA more or less since the Jordon era, and began to love the Spurs since 1999. Later I heard about the story about David Robinson sacrificing his own game to help Tim Duncan become the go-to guy in the Spurs. Only then was I truly fascinated by this team and became a fan. I found this story very touching. In fact, the Spurs is a selfless team. I think this must be one of the reasons you love this team.

[pache100]

:lol What's the difference between Most Valuable Individual and Most Valuable Player? If the award were about the rest of the team, it'd be Most Valuable Team award

To me, a "player" indicates he, at least occasionally ,thinks of the team that he plays for and what is best for them. That he contributes to their well-being and makes other "players" on the team better. Kobe doesn't do that. Kobe is first, last, and always about Kobe. The eternal individual, the team be damned. Proverbial stat machine. That is the difference that I see. It's only my opinion, though.

[JamStone]

What if what is best for the Lakers is Kobe scoring 35-40 pts every game in order for the Lakers to have a chance to win? That's "playing" for what's best for the team.

And, people make it seem like Kobe NEVER passes the ball. Well, first, he's a shooting guard who's main responsibility on his team is to SCORE. Lamar Odom and Smush Parker take care of setting up Kobe and the other teammates. And, secondly, Kobe still averages 4.5 asists a game. Only Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson, and Dwyane Wade average more assists per game as SHOOTING GUARDS in the league. Kobe does actually pass the ball.

And, Kobe does make his teammates better. People just don't want to think of being tough on teammates to work harder necessarily means a player is making his teammates better. But, there are a lot of different ways to perceive the idea of "making teammates better."

[Tanya]

It really depends on the definition of MVP.

Kobe -- the best player in the league
Nowitzki -- has brought DAL to another level, but his team is deep (disadvantage: never won a champ for his team)
Lebron -- carry his team on his back, but overall not as good as Kobe (disadvantage: never won a series in the playoffs)
Nash -- good enough to repeat, but I'd rather to see a new winner
Chaucey -- best of the best starting five because he is so clutch, but his supporting cast is too good
Wade -- not so impressive, just like Carter on NJN, Pierce on BOS, and Redd on MIL

Kobe will get it... I think...

[mavsfan1000]

Kobe needs to score for the Lakers. He is not a great passer and is a scoring machine. If Kobe plays differently he hurts the team. Still I think Lebron means more to the Cavs than Kobe the lakers. Lebron gets criticized for game ending shots but his offense has been incredible this year. He is carrying that team to their record. The lakers without Kobe=The cavs without Lebron.

[pache100]

What if what is best for the Lakers is Kobe scoring 35-40 pts every game in order for the Lakers to have a chance to win? That's "playing" for what's best for the team.

It isn't what's best for the team. I always said, even when Shaq was there, let Shaq and Kobe score 35-40 points each and shut everybody else the hell down. They would have beaten them every time that way, because you can score more than 80 points against the Lakers. That is NEVER what is best for any team. That's why the Lakers are where they are and not contenders any more.


Kobe will get it... I think...

If he does? It will be a travesty of justice, a corruption of the award, and the title will mean absolutely nothing.

[JamStone]

It was best for the team when Shaq and Kobe won three championships. In their second championship run, the pair averaged 59.8 ppg between the two of them. In their third championship run, after Shaq and Kobe, no Laker averaged more than 10.2 points per game in the playoffs.

Shaq and Kobe had to routinely score 30-35 ppg each in their three year run as NBA champs. Don't kid yourself. And, it WAS best for the team. Three championships prove that.

[pache100]

It was best for the team when Shaq and Kobe won three championships...Shaq and Kobe had to routinely score 30-35 ppg each in their three year run as NBA champs. Don't kid yourself. And, it WAS best for the team. Three championships prove that.

No, IMO, it wasn't. They won because the rest of the team did not get shut down and the other team did not outscore those two. Defense has to play in there somewhere.

We can argue this all night, but I don't see the point. Kobe is not a team player IMO, and not worthy of MVP. You aren't going to change my mind, just like I'm not gonna change yours.

[nkdlunch]

If he does? It will be a travesty of justice, a corruption of the award, and the title will mean absolutely nothing.

Sorry to dissapoint you, Kobe'll win it. (not that I agree. But its a fact)

[pache100]

Sorry to dissapoint you, Kobe'll win it. (not that I agree. But its a fact)

I'm not saying you're wrong. But, I'm sticking by my statement. It wouldn't mean as much to a real MVP after Kobe tarnishes it.

[x0xbillupsx0x]

I'm not saying you're wrong. But, I'm sticking by my statement. It wouldn't mean as much to a real MVP after Kobe tarnishes it.
i agree!
a player can jack up so many hots that making less then half looks amazing is out right sad!
and tio get awarded for it will be even more sadder!
specially when you have player's who shoot less and give more assist to their teamates then kobe averages in missed shots!
and their dont care about the media franzy and who admires them!
they care about winning nomatter who gets the credit for it!
kobe is all about him!
he gets all the credit dispite his teamates who are surposebly nobodies could easily be starter's on another team where they actually could handle the ball w/o getting dirty looks everytime!
brian cook
odem
smush parker
all great player's and having a humilating year because of kobe!

[baseline bum]

I think Bryant is hands-down the MVP, but I expect Nash to get the hardware.

[genghisrex]

And you can speak a little chinese??
I speak a little bit of Mandarin which has carried over from a class I took in college, but I can't read or write it anymore. I'd like to try to pick it up again sometime.

[Spurologist]

Welcome to the forum, Rapper. MVP = Kobe, but the writers don't get it. Therefore, Dirk = MVP.

[1Parker1]

Question: Will fans boycott the NBA if Kobe wins MVP? :smokin

[ShoogarBear]

I know a few curse words in Cantonese.

[Despot]

http://news.pajamasmedia.com/sport/2006/04/17/8230176_Kobe_Bryant_Favo.shtml

[Obstructed_View]

Kg
What a fucking shock. The word "valuable" has nothing to do with bloated contracts, or KG would be right there.

[pwilliam]

Nash should win it. When everyone predicted the suns to finish around 40 wins without Amare, what Nash has done is VERY impressive.

Maybe he doesn't belong to the group who wins consecutive MVPs, like Bird, MJ, Duncan, etc, but Nash shouldn't be punished for this, since Nash is clearly the most valuable player this year.

[TDMVPDPOY]

they should seriously give it to duncan who playin with one foot = 60 wins, two bumb ankles = championship ring, umm wat else is there to say....

[Tek_XX]

nash

[jiangrong]

I have a question

In here! this board

who can speak chinese??

Could it be said that..only me???


I am a chinese too. But I live in mainland (Shanghai). I am a student too, but immediately I will graduate from my university in June of 2006. My english isn't well too, haha

[Pandaemonaeon]

Will the Chinese government put Spurs Talk on their Net Nanny?

[Rapper]

I am a chinese too. But I live in mainland (Shanghai). I am a student too, but immediately I will graduate from my university in June of 2006. My english isn't well too, haha
¿ÚºÏ..ºÜºÃ..Ô*�íÊÇÉϺ£�íµÄͬ°û

ͻȻÓÐÒ»·NËûàlÓö¹ÊÖªµÄ¸ÐÓX..

"this is chinese"

[jiangrong]

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ͻȻÓÐÒ»·NËûàlÓö¹ÊÖªµÄ¸ÐÓX..

"this is chinese"


你们用的还是繁体字？呵呵，我们用的是简体字，写起来方便多了。希望以后能交个好朋友！

[Rapper]

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can you see that??

[TDMVPDPOY]

we are being invaded ppl!!!!! :D:D

[jiangrong]

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can you see that??


呵呵，当然能看懂了。 马刺中文论坛一天没事得进去逛好几次，呵呵，总是看看里面的新闻和图片，所以我一直想把那里的优秀图片上传 到这里来。不过我在那里没注册，因为上次注册了，可是一直没有回音，所以通常在那是只看不留言，那里有好几 个叫刺者的，不知道哪个是你。还有我们中文网站有好多人喜欢昵称邓肯为“呆子”，不知道这单词英语怎么翻？ 哈哈。对了，顺便问一句，chinaspurs里有一个叫刺者的说他和女友12月要去圣安东尼奥，不知道是 不是你？？我在上海，呵呵，有空来这玩，我做东

[Rapper]

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ß@‚€ÊÇÎÒµÄe-mail address ,"spursmars@yahoo>com.hk"

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[jiangrong]

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呵呵，好的呀。我的MSN是 [email protected] 也可以写信
spursmars@yahoo>com.hk？？？你确信？？没用过雅虎，但是感觉看上去怪，呵呵

[Rapper]

ºÇºÇ£¬ºÃµÄѽ¡£ÎÒµÄMSNÊÇ [email protected] Ò²¿ÉÒÔдÐÅ
spursmars@yahoo>com.hk£¿£¿£¿ÄãÈ·ÐÅ£¿£¿Ã»ÓùýÑÅ»¢£¬µ«ÊǸоõ¿´ÉÏÈ¥¹Ö £¬ºÇºÇ

i'm sorry

is [email protected]

[jiangrong]

i'm sorry

is [email protected]


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[1Parker1]

Wow, did I enter the wrong thread.............? :lol

[Maribor Slovenia]

LeBron is MVP. He is very impressive this year, he posts numbers like Oscar and Michael, when they played (high than 31 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists per game). His team will win 50 games, even though Larry Hughes, his second greatest player, missed 45 games this year. He also has 6 triple doubles, Kobe haven't any triple double. His leadership is on very high level. He is second in efiiciency points per game (behind Garnett who will not be MVP, because his team will not be in the Playoff). If we add his numbers, his number is high than anyone. High than Kobe, too. LeBron improved his play in clutch minutes, he scores decisive baskets twice (first two in is career) in this season, so he must be named from now on Mr. Clutch! Cavs' trainer Mike Brown is very impressed at King James. He is the youngest player who scored 6000 points, triple double, he is the youngest MVP of All-Star game. Cavs was 42-40 last season, but in this season they will be 50-32. Big progress.

Nash and Billups are not dominant enough. Kobe is too much egoistic, he is selfish. Dirk come from the Europe and I think that American voters won't vote for him.

[SpursWillOwn]

duncan shld be mvp.. anyway im frm singapore

[Pistons < Spurs]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&id=2413171



As teammates, they were inseparable.

Well, guess what?

As MVP rivals, they ain't any easier to separate.

Steve Nash. Dirk Nowitzki. There they are, together again, filling the top two slots on my MVP ballot.

Finding any distance between them now is honestly harder than ever.

By now you've surely heard me and numerous colleagues wail about how tough it was to pick this season's Most Valuable Player. I know, I know: We say that every year. But I can't see how it's ever been more true. I would struggle to mount a passionate protest if any of the five guys on my official ballot end up as the NBA's 2005-06 MVP. And I can't remember ever thinking that before this, my 13th season covering the league.

The ballots in all categories -- including All-NBA teams, which I'll unveil in the final Daily Dime of the regular season Wednesday -- are due back to the league office by Thursday at 3 p.m. Here's how mine will look:

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER



Steve Nash

Nowitzki is having an MVP-caliber season, as one of the few players on the NBA map who can legitimately claim to get better every single season. In the low post, on the defensive end and when confronted by smaller/quicker defenders, Nowitzki is clearly better than he was a year ago. The only thing missing on his resume is the No. 1 seed in the West, and it's not really fair to hold that against the big German when Dallas exceeded all expectations anyway by winning 60 games . . . despite the biggest gap between the best and second-best player (Josh Howard) on its roster than any player in this discussion.Even Nash, when asked about Nowitzki's MVP-worthiness, told me: "What more does Dirk have to do?"

LeBron James is having an MVP-caliber season, too, thanks largely to the late rush from his Cleveland Cavaliers that might wind up netting the third-highest win total in the Eastern Conference after seven seasons out of the playoffs. LeBron's individual production is ridiculous (31.4 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 6.6 apg) and looks even better when you remember that Larry Hughes, imported to be the backcourt sidekick who would help James finally get Cleveland back to the postseason, missed 45 games. If 50 wins equates to elite status, and if the Cavs can get there by winning Wednesday's finale against Atlanta, LeBron might combine singular prowess and team success better than anyone in the field.

Of course, I can only say might because of Kobe Bryant, who's having his own MVP-caliber season. Did someone say ridiculous individual production? Surely you haven't forgotten Bryant shredding Nowitzki's Mavs for 62 points in three quarters . . . and then hang 81 points on the Toronto Raptors. It's no less of a trick for Kobe to have the Lakers at 44 victories, relying heavily on Smush Parker and Kwame Brown (with pretty much zippo on the bench behind them) as major contributors. Given the depth of the West compared to the densely populated sub-.500 culture in the East, Kobe's win total and 35-point scoring average arguably trumps LeBron. Most amazing feat of all from No. 8: No one even talks any more about Eagle, Colo.

No ballot, furthermore, would be complete without Chauncey Billups, who's having an MVP-caliber season of his own as the Nash of the East. As noted in this cyberspace more than once, it's tough to stand out in the NBA's equivalent of a "Seinfeld"-standard ensemble, but Billups does so even with three other All-Stars in the lineup. If you were to single out one player from the league's foremost starting five, it would have to be the 29-year-old point guard who, like Nash in the desert, somehow gets better, more clutch and more glue-like as he gets older.

So . . .

To beat out all of the above competition, the reigning MVP would have to be even better than he was last season.

Right.

He was.

Nash simply would not let the Suns drop out of the NBA elite, even though these Suns -- with almost a whole new team in place and with Amare Stoudemire's season consisting of three games and two knee surgeries -- were not last season's 62-win Suns. Nash promptly dispelled the myth that he wouldn't be as effective without Stoudemire as his pick-and-roll finisher and produced his best statistical season yet, shooting better than 50 percent from the floor, better than 40 percent on 3-pointers and better than 90 percent from the line as one of seven Suns to record a career-best scoring average. As a result, Phoenix has 53 wins and has maintained one of the league's top four records all season, in spite of all the changes and a run of injuries that recently claimed new interior defensive anchor Kurt Thomas.

Shawn Marion's own brilliant play diminishes Nash's candidacy to some, but we again invite you to answer this question: If it were Nash out for the season instead of Stoudemire, would Phoenix be the No. 2 seed in the West?

The Suns actually started 4-5, but coach Mike D'Antoni -- who had guaranteed a 50-win season after losing Stoudemire -- repeated his guarantee by reminding folks that he still had Nash and that his point guard would "figure it out."

"That's what he does," D'Antoni said.

And that's why, close as it was, Nash's season rates as the best of the five on this scorecard.

Stein's ballot:

1. Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns

2. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks

3. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

4. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

5. Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons

October prediction: Tim Duncan





COACH OF THE YEAR


Flip Saunders

Yes. You got me.

Of course I'm going to complain about how this is still the toughest call in the awards biz. That's right: It's even tougher than the MVP logjam. So tough that you can't conclusively say who the Los Angeles Coach of the Year is -- Phil Jackson or Mike Dunleavy -- let alone find a clear-cut winner in a field that also includes Mike D'Antoni, Byron Scott and the perpetually ignored Gregg Popovich.

In the end, I came down to Flip and Avery Johnson while believing, again, that I could make a convincing case for each of the seven guys I've mentioned.

Avery's case: Dallas won 60 games with one All-Star (Nowitzki), in spite of numerous injuries and held the opposition under 94 points per game for the first time in franchise history . . . all while pundits continue to cackle about their D. The Lil' General, in other words, had the coaching equivalent of a Chris Paul rookie season.

Yet I felt a nudge inside to reward what Saunders did with the 64-win Pistons. Flip could have gone the safe route and taken over a good young team in Milwaukee but elected to step into Larry Brown's sizable shadow . . . and then presided over the best regular season in Pistons history. I don't buy that ridiculous Pistons Coach Themselves bunk. Not when Saunders pumped life into the Pistons' moribund offense, helped Billups reach a new gear by giving him so much freedom and responsibility and made sure Detroit's points-per-game defense stayed in the top three at 90.1 ppg. Oh, yeah: Detroit increased its win total from last season by 10, which isn't exactly the norm for a team that just went seven games in the NBA Finals.

I'm just as eager as you to see how the vote finishes. Detroit, Dallas and Phoenix all have an MVP candidate and a COY candidate who deserve to win. Close as I came to going with Nowitzki as my MVP and Avery as my COY, I don't think I'll be hugely surprised by any outcome.

Stein's ballot:

1. Flip Saunders, Detroit

2. Avery Johnson, Dallas

3. Mike D'Antoni, Phoenix Suns

October prediction: Phil Jackson





ROOKIE OF THE YEAR



Chris Paul

Why can't they all be this easy? Why can't even two of these be this easy?

Duh: It's Paul in a landslide. At 7.8 dimes nightly, Paul is averaging more assists as a rookie than Magic Johnson (7.3) or Jason Kidd (7.7). He's also scoring 16.2 points per game, adding 2.25 steals and averaging 5.2 boards (compared to Kidd's 11.7 ppg, 1.9 spg and 5.4 rpg) even though I question whether he's really a 6-footer as listed.

Most impressive, of course, is the Hornets' record: 20 more wins than last season when these Cinderellas were forecast to be among the league's worst. The coach and power forward David West were factors, too, and that's why both are strong awards candidates themselves. But Paul, as the venerable P.J. Brown likes to say, is simply "the guy."

"He's fearless, he's competitive, he's a winner," Brown told me. "He's the franchise. It's a pleasure to play with him."

Pleasure to watch him, too.

Stein's ballot:

1. Chris Paul, New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets

2. Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee Bucks

3. Charlie Villanueva, Toronto Raptors

October prediction: Indiana's Sarunas Jasikevicius





SIXTH MAN AWARD


Mike Miller

I swear that I wasn't swayed by the box of blue-and-yellow M&Ms sent by the Grizzlies to trumpet Miller's candidacy . . . and devoured by the 2 ½-year-old heir to the Stein Line: Alexander The Greatest.

Miller wins here on merit. Pau Gasol's step-up to All-Star status was the biggest development in Memphis this season, but Miller isn't far behind, welcoming (instead of fighting) his shift to a reserve role to stabilize a backcourt that lost Damon Stoudamire to injury while three newcomers -- Eddie Jones, Bobby Jackson and Chucky Atkins -- were also trying to settle in. Beyond averaging nearly 14 points nightly off the bench, Miller is also shooting almost 47 percent from the field while hitting on 40 percent of his 3-pointers and 80 percent of his free throws. Solid.

(It also didn't hurt that three of the top contenders most likely to bump Miller -- Miami's Alonzo Mourning, Dallas' Jerry Stackhouse and Milwaukee's Maurice Williams -- all missed a good chunk of time through injury.)

Stein's ballot:

1. Mike Miller, Memphis Grizzlies

2. Jerry Stackhouse, Dallas Mavericks

3. Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Sacramento Kings

October prediction: San Antonio's Michael Finley





MOST IMPROVED PLAYER


Boris Diaw

You know by now what we wrestle with annually here. Is it the jump from non-factor to impact player? Or the tougher jump from good to really good? Or the toughest jump from really good to full-fledged stud?

I'm never sure.

Which is a problem this term because I can give you the names of five stars who became more than All-Stars this season: Carmelo Anthony, Elton Brand, Chris Bosh, Gasol and Tony Parker. They're all scraping the upper crust now.

I can give you just as many worthy contenders in the first group: West, Gerald Wallace, (my man) Mike James, Andres Nocioni, Jameer Nelson, Chris Kaman and Nenad Krstic. I'm sure you'll e-mail me more.

But I'm going with Diaw, who's averaging 13.3 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists for the Suns after two seasons in Hawks purgatory.

As Nash explains: "Our starting center was Atlanta's backup two-guard last year."

It's a stunning fact that obviously didn't hurt Nash's MVP case, but it also clinches Diaw as my MIP.

Stein's ballot:

1. Boris Diaw, Phoenix Suns

2. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs

3. Carmelo Anthony, Denver Nuggets

October prediction: Krstic





DEFENSIVE PLAYER


Bruce Bowen

Throw out Bowen's undeniable (Cal State Fullerton) advantage with this voter and you'll still reach my conclusion. Or at least you should.

Perimeter defenders have never been more limited by the rules in how much they can use their hands on D, yet Bowen's legend -- and ability to frustrate scorers like Ray Allen -- only grows. He's also having perhaps his best stopper season, judging by all the complaints about him, at a time when the true legend at the rim behind him is not nearly as mobile as we're used to seeing because of Duncan's season-long bout with plantar fasciitis.

Ron Artest missed half the season after forcing his way out of Indiana. Two other natural contenders (Marcus Camby and Mourning) didn't quite play enough (games or minutes) to bid for the top slot. Duncan, Minnesota's Kevin Garnett and Detroit's Ben Wallace are always contenders here as well, as are Utah's Andrei Kirilenko and Marion and two of my up-and-coming faves: Gerald Wallace and Atlanta's Josh Smith.

But I have to take someone from one of the two most feared defenses in the league, so it's Bowen or Big Ben. And I'm going with the guy who probably guards more players of different sizes than anyone.

Stein's ballot:

1. Bruce Bowen, San Antonio Spurs

2. Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons

3. Andrei Kirilenko, Utah Jazz

October prediction: Wallace

[1Parker1]

Most amazing feat of all from No. 8: No one even talks any more about Eagle, Colo.

:lol Except on this forum.

[TDMVPDPOY]

i dunno what else dirk has to do to get the mvp or sum attention this season, this season is probaly his best chance of ever gettin one, i hate it how the media, sportsline/espn/yahoo are already on lebronz left nutt about mvp or even kobe.

[ObiwanGinobili]

Dirk, Nash, Lebron, Kobe.




and I hate even typing the word Kobe. in a perfect world he doesn't exsist.

[ObiwanGinobili]

Most amazing feat of all from No. 8: No one even talks any more about Eagle, Colo.





Except on this forum.


:lol right?
he totally did it. he's just lucky the girl was a nutjob.

[ShoogarBear]

:lol right?
he totally did it. he's just lucky the girl was a nutjob.

So if Kobe actually had gone to Duke, you're saying he would have been a natural for the lacrosse team?

[TDMVPDPOY]

seems like cuban is not marketing dirk for mvp....

[milkyway21]

kobe

[E20]

Lebron or Kobe.

[freedom&justice]

I have a question

In here! this board

who can speak chinese??

Could it be said that..only me???

I can, I'm just not that good at it. :depressed
oh, and Kobe's pretty much the favorite for mvp, but my personal choice is Chauncey.